Chapter 40: Chapter 43 – The Great Suzerain War

After long last, the Great Suzerain War began. Skirmishes and small-scale battles took place along the borders of Suzerain Lord Taurus and Scorpius’s territories.

“Hmm, at this rate, we will stay at a standstill for years…” Elder Aries remarked. Both sides were too even to tell who the winner of the war would be, but it was all within expectations.

“Until Lord Darkin and his strongest Captains get involved, we cannot move either.” Theseus added.

“Do you think we can actually win?” Aries wondered out loud.

“According to my calculations, we will make headway around one year and three months into Lord Taurus’s capital. When we reach there, Lord Darkin will have to move to save Lord Taurus. Lord Scorpius will also be forced into the battle, probably on the side of Lord Darkin.”

“You didn’t answer the question. Can we win?” Aries solemnly questioned.

“With one more year to train, we will stand a chance.”

“Hmm…” Aries pondered. Theseus grew less and less confident in their victory by the day. Lord Darkin was a force against nature, strong enough to destroy everything in the Oceanic Realm. As the slow tide of the Suzerain War dragged on, Aries contemplated his history with Lord Darkin.

Aries was well aware of who Lord Darkin truly was.

***

Decades ago, in the Oceanic Realm.

“Stand up soldier!” Captain Agamemnon beat Aries over the back with a bat made of metal. Crying out in pain, Aries fell back to the ground from his bear crawl.

“Pathetic! We trained you into our great Shade Program, for this?” Agamemnon sneered. As one of the strongest Captains in Lord Darkin’s territory, Captain Agamemnon was at the peak S Rank Greater Spirit Realm at the moment.

“Get up!” Agamemnon yelled. With great struggle, Aries rose to his feet. Even after years of harsh training, he was still at the F Rank Greater Spirit Realm while his peers in the same cohort were already approaching Captain status.

“We’ve poured so many resources into you, but your progress is by far the slowest. Give me one reason why I shouldn’t kill you right now.”

“I’ll give you two. My foundations are the strongest of all the trainees and killing me would waste Lord Darkin’s resources. Unless my aura realm improves, I won’t even be good Shade Core material.” Aries grumbled.

“Fine.” Agamemnon growled and slammed the bat into Aries’s head, knocking him out and storming away angrily.

***

When Aries awoke, he was covered in bruises and dried blood in the middle of the training grounds. Nobody even bothered to bring him to the hospital tent or even a bed. It just went to show how hated Aries really was, or maybe it was just that the other soldiers just didn’t care about him. Aries couldn’t tell, but he couldn’t blame them. Soldiers working under Lord Darkin were expected to be ruthless and uncaring for one another. It wasn’t uncommon for soldiers to die due to the cruel training, and Aries wasn’t even the only one unconscious from beatings or fatigue on the training grounds that day.

Aries was unapologetic over his weakness. After being trained to become a Shade in Lord Darkin’s Shade Program, Aries approached the Shade Path in a ruthless manner like everyone else, but his mindset was fundamentally different from his peers and superiors.

“I’ll never let my Shade Core become unstable.” Aries vowed.

Shade Cultivation was the primary way for those under Lord Darkin grew stronger, but insubordinate and weaker soldiers were sacrificed to the strong all the time. Aries hated consuming innocent souls, but he had to do it to survive. Secretly, Aries also used the Spirit Cultivation technique to supplement his soul’s aura from being weaker than his core. Because of this, Aries progressed at a significantly slower rate than the others in order to stay safe.

Constantly, Aries researched the Shade Path. It was his goal to stay in his right mind, even under these conditions, but it was getting harder as he fell behind further and further. Because he was under a Soul Contract, he couldn’t defect from his Suzerain Lord, even though he desperately wanted to.

“I’m running out of time…” Thought Aries. The beatings were getting worse. There was not much time left until Agamemnon and the other soldiers would finally kill him despite the waste of resources. Desperately, Aries snuck into Lord Darkin’s palace.

“I’m here to see Lord Darkin.” Aries told the guards outside the throne room.

“Do you have an appointment, soldier?” The Captain guarding the room curiously asked. Speaking with Lord Darkin was akin to suicide, and the Captain already knew that Aries didn’t have an appointment with Darkin.

“Yes, Captain Agamemnon has arranged it.” Aries pulled out a forged document.

The Captain inwardly sneered. This soldier was asking to die by using Agamemnon’s name to seek an audience with Lord Darkin. Their mysterious Suzerain Lord rarely allowed Captains in, much less a Shade from the Shade Program. If he miraculously survived Lord Darkin, Captain Agamemnon would brutally murder him.

“Hmm, go in.” The Captain smiled deviously to the other Captain guarding the other side of the grand doors. He just couldn’t resist letting this soldier kill himself. Surely, this soldier’s demise will serve as a good story to scare the other soldiers. Because the documents looked good enough, Lord Darkin would understand, or at least he would take it out on Agamemnon instead of them.

Aries entered Lord Darkin’s throne room.

“Who is it?” The dark, rich voice of Lord Darkin filled the empty throne room.

“I’m a soldier with the Shade Program; I’ve come to negotiate my contract.”

“Negotiate?” Lord Darkin chuckled, but as time went on, he laughed harder and harder until it was hysteric. Calming down, Darkin felt rejuvenated. It had been years since he last laughed that hard.

“What right do you have to negotiate with me?” Lord Darkin sneered.

“The Shade Program has a fatal flaw. There is no way to stop the Shades from developing unstable cores. In the long run, this is asking for failure.” Aries boldly declared.

Lord Darkin laughed again, this time, dryly.

“What does that matter to me? They are just pawns in the end. When they outlive their usefulness, they will just join my Shade Core.” Lord Darkin mocked, threatening Aries.

“Then if you do not care, I will suggest this. If your highest elites all have unstable cores, they will be less useful in battle. You stay in seclusion to stabilize your own Shade Core, no? I’ve probably been using a similar technique that you use to stabilize my own core.” Aries countered.

“How bold… A mere Greater Spirit is critiquing me, a Suzerain Lord?” Lord Darkin stood up. The menacing Lord Darkin stood over twice as tall as Aries, making him feel small.

“Your bravery is humorous. If you can survive one attack, I will let you live.” Lord Darkin struck out with a casual punch. Aries braced himself.

Splattered across the room, the blood of Aries filled the surrounding walls. Pummeled with a blast of casual aura, Aries was on the brink of death, coughing and gasping for air on the ground as blood filled his lungs.

“Impressive. Your will to live outweighs my own.” Lord Darkin marveled at the still conscious Aries.

“Since you follow in my footsteps, using Spirit and Shade magic to stabilize your core, I acknowledge your boldness.”

“Captain, burn this Shade’s wounds shut. Throw him out into the Phaunus Forest. If he survives these injuries, he deserves to live.” Lord Darkin yelled so the Captains outside the room could hear.

***

Left for dead, Aries crawled through the Phaunus Forest, desperately looking for food. From his injuries, Aries was now heavily deformed. Even for a Shade, Aries was hideous. Displaying an extraordinary desire to survive, Aries killed lesser fish and beasts and savagely ate them raw.

“I’m free!” Aries croaked. With his gamble actually paying off, the future was his to behold. Over two months, Aries recuperated, and even grew stronger from consuming Spirit Beasts. Now at the D Rank Greater Spirit Realm, Aries fought against the forces of the Phaunus Forest carefully. If he could stay here for a long time, he could grow into a monster from the shadows until he could fully get revenge on Lord Darkin.

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Suddenly, a voice was heard from behind Aries.

“Get him!”

An ambush of soldiers surrounded Aries. Despite his efforts, the ambush was effective and swift. The soldiers put a bag over Aries’s head, and the next thing he knew, he was in front of Lord Virgo.

“What is a D Rank Shade doing wandering the Phaunus Forest?” Lord Virgo demanded. It was awfully suspicious to find a Shade with a core as stable as Aries’.

Inwardly, Aries was glad it was Lord Virgo and not another Suzerain Lord who had kidnapped him. From the rumors, Lord Virgo was supposedly an idealist who may save him from his struggles once the misunderstanding was cleared.

“I am a defective soldier of Lord Darkin.” Aries told Virgo honestly.

“Defective? Impossible. All Lord Darkin subordinates have Soul Contracts. You must be a spy. Take him away.” Lord Virgo sneered, and Aries’s face went from hopeful to despaired. This wasn’t the Lord Virgo he imagined.

“No, no! Wait, my contract was fulfilled. I am a free man.” Aries begged, but no one listened.

Throwing Aries into his dungeon, Lord Virgo mercilessly tortured Aries, trying to get information with his torturers. After weeks of nonstop torture, the truth was confirmed by Soul Contract experts.

“You are actually a defector?” Lord Virgo marveled.

“As a soldier from the infamous Shade Program, you will have great use to me.” Lord Virgo had a sinister grin on his face. Aries looked into Virgo’s eyes with hatred.

“The Suzerain Lords are all the same,” thought Aries.

***

Years working as Lord Virgo’s head Shade consultant led to his rise as Lord Virgo’s Head Captain. As Aries met more and more of the Suzerain Lords, he grew familiar with the political landscape. He even attempted to court Lord Jezebel at one point, but his deformed body was disturbing, even to the lustful Lord. However, Aries went to the Phaunus Forest constantly, training for his revenge against the Suzerains.

Rumors of Aries’s political prowess spread after the rise of Lord Scorpius. Since Lord Scorpius talked of his relationship with Aries openly, Lord Virgo started to see Aries differently. With his potential, Aries’s secret feelings were now known because of Lord Scorpius. Aries’s notoriety was growing too large. At this rate, he would reach the F Rank Royalty Realm in the next few years and would be able to face him one on one.

“Aries is a threat. One day, he will attempt to kill me.” Lord Virgo explained to Captain Centos.

“He is not the only traitor in our midst. Captain Justus has been secretly giving resources to the poor.” Centos brought up.

“Good. They will be new fodder for the Moirai Dungeon. The dungeon rulers will hopefully leave us alone if we feed them more Captains.” Lord Virgo decided, forcing the two defective Captains into a Soul Contract to investigate the Moirai.

***

On their way to the dungeon, Aries contemplated his next moves carefully. Unless the mission failed drastically, he couldn’t escape. Just like before, he was trapped in a situation that would kill him.

“I must live!” Aries punched a coral tree, shattering it.

“What’s wrong with you?” Justus yelled, unaware of the danger level of this mission.

“Do you not understand? We are being sent on a suicide mission.” Aries growled.

“What should we do then? Come, let’s face our death with dignity.” Justus mocked. As far as Justus was concerned, he had done the best he could for the people of the Virgo Territory. Inevitably, Virgo would dispose of him. Therefore, he had submitted to his death years ago and was not surprised by Aries’s explanation.

“I’m coming up with a plan…” Aries whispered, staring at Justus with desire. If he killed Justus himself, he could break through to the F Rank, and the mission would be considered failed. It was a risk, but he had to take it. However, he had to find the right opportunity. As the duo drew closer to the known entrance of the Moirai Dungeon, they stopped for the night around a small campfire. In the shadows, a middle-aged man and a leopard watched quietly.

“Hmm, a Shade Possession could place the Soul Contract in jeopardy by muddling my soul’s presence with one another along with my breakthrough to the F Rank.” Aries quietly pondered as he sensed the presence of Theseus. Justus had not yet noticed the Captain level beast and its tamer yet.

“This is my chance!” Thought Aries.

“Justus, we are going to surpass Virgo. In our eyes, he will become less than Royalty.” Aries declared.

“What in the world are you talking about?” Captain Justus shook his head dismissively.

“Come on. Join me. I’ll give you one chance. I think he is no more than a Greater Shade.” Aries boasted.

“If he is a Greater Spirit, I am just a Spirit.” Justus laughed. Aries had lost his mind.

“From the moment I met him-“ Aries paused.

“What’d you think Aries?” Justus inquired, curiously.

“I’m sure Lord Virgo could care less, don’t you think?” Aries said. Lord Virgo didn’t care about them.

“Who cares what that idiot thinks?” Aries continued.

“Careful what you say, Aries. It wouldn’t be wise for Shades to speak up against a Greater Spirit like Lord Virgo.” Justus joked.

“One of these days, I will become greater than Lord Virgo. He’s become too full of himself.” Aries declared boastfully. The bulkier man, Aries, stood up and looked down on the skinner man who had been rebuking him.

“What do you think you’re doing? How dare you speak of Lord Virgo so nonchalantly?” Justus stood up in retaliation. For all they knew, this mission was a test of their loyalty.

“Justus, it’s time for a change in management, don’t you think?” Aries smiled and struck out at Justus.

Leo was about to pounce, but Theseus held his friend back; he wasn’t sure how powerful this duo was.

“Skill: Shade Slam!” Aries cried out. With a rush of blood red aura, Aries slammed down on the smaller Justus.

***

From then on, the course of Aries’s life changed forever. From a desperate Shade trying to survive, he saw the light and hope Theseus brought to those around him. Together, they defeated Lord Virgo and started a new territory. Oceanus was one of a kind and the direct opposition to the Suzerain way. This was everything he had ever wanted.

“Even if we lose, I have no regrets.” Aries told Theseus, reaching out to shake his hand.

“I regret nothing either.” Theseus responded, taking Aries’s hand.

Tomorrow, Aries would face Suzerain Lord Scorpius, alone.

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